Corona Devotionals

There is much that I do not understand in the Bible.  I do not and have never professed to be a Biblical scholar or more well-versed in Bible verses than you. But I do love God's Word, the Bible.  And the way I approach and wake-up-for, and happily and hopefully anticipate the Bible each day is to read it, and to see what God says that I do understand.  And t hat I can figure out.  And that for that day and moment , God has written and given for me to receive and apply to my life and my heart. Not that we shouldn't study the historical context of the Bible, or what Bible scholars and authorities say and explain to us.  This academic studying of the Bible helps us to understand even more about what was going on when it was written...and aids in our understanding. But as we read the Bible day today, watch for what verse(s) stick out to us.  What strikes our heart as we read?  What penetrates our soul in the verse?  And something will.  ...

Bread has always been a staple for me.  I can't remember not enjoying bread and having it as a part of our daily and holiday meals. Rye bread with corned beef and swiss sandwiches. White bread for packed-lunch sandwiches. Refrigerated French bread (Pillsbury) dough,...baked into a loaf of crispy-crust and hot, soft bread inside. Italian fruit stollen bread (Panettone) for Christmas-time. Pumpernickel bread cut into dipping cubes and paired with spinach dip. Ciabatta bread with pasta dinners. Cornbread with chili. Sourdough bread sliced and toasted with butter and jam. Yep...it's official, I love bread, and I eat some form of it daily.   And (I'm guessing)...I am not alone.  Most of us enjoy bread.  And God knows that.  Most (all?) cultures have always enjoyed bread products (of some sort) as daily sustenance and substance.  Bread is something that people can all understand/relate-to/identify with. Perhaps that's why the Lord compares and associates His...

What would you do in a life threatening situation? What would be our first reaction? ...Seek emergency help maybe. Give emergency help if possible. Alert others maybe. Pray. What would we do right now if there was an emergency? -- God is our refuge and strength,  an ever-present help in trouble. ( 2)  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way  and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, ( 3)  though its waters roar and foam  and the mountains quake with their surging. ~Psalm 46:1-3 While I was visiting my friends at the nursing home yesterday, one of them started choking.  As I was saying goodbye to her and others, her eyes were moist, and I looked closer, telling her that I couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.   But she didn't comment, and she also showed no alarm, and I continued packing up my things.   But shortly, one of her tablemates called for help, declaring that she was choking. I might have known ...

God doesn't just give up and go away.  If we are struggling today, and in-need of our Heavenly Father-- He is here , and that is good news to us (whether we are ready to hear it or not). But if we are running-from, ignoring, or avoiding the Lord and His plans for us today--the same Truth is true: God doesn't just give up and go away. For better or for worse, whether we agree with Him or disagree, whether we think 'our way' is better than 'His way'...God doesn't just give up and go away, and He will pursue us and His good plan for our lives.  ...God has said,  “Never will I leave you;  never will I forsake you.”  ~Hebrews 13:5 God's nearness and pursuit of us is a comfort most of the time, but if we are avoiding His will for our lives, it can almost feel like a threat.  But when we feel like God is "on our back", then this is an indicator that we are fleeing from His plans and will for us.   It's hard  to do what God tells us to sometimes...

One of our local grocery stores has a doughnut deal, where if you buy five donuts, you get a sixth one free.  My husband and I stopped in to take (delicious) advantage of the special one day, but at the checkout, the cashier got flustered and rang up too many doughnuts and then was confused about the free-donut-special.  She finally decided that all was well and gave us our total.  I am no math guru, and the sum sounded good to me, but my husband is a mathematician, and he knew something was wrong.  He looked at her screen and pointed out with kindness that she had not charged us for enough doughnuts.   She was surprised by his honesty, and grateful.   I wasn't surprised by his honesty, but I am always grateful for it.   As we left the grocery store (fully paid-for doughnuts in hand), he told me that earlier that morning he had been listening to a sermon about honesty with money and how much more  God can do with money that is hones...